The Curse of the 6th Month Has Struck
Remember how I mentioned that I got two offers at the end of 2012 to go back to the U.S.?
I ended up choosing Louisville, KY.
So this happened at work today ...
- My Boss: We're looking to hire a project manager, do you guys have any referrals?
- My Boss's Peer: X from Y dept is aspiring to be one, but she's going on maternity leave soon so she may be out for a few months.
- My Boss's Boss: Right. Pregnant and going to be out for 3 months. Sounds like the perfect candidate.
I’m rambling on and on the past few days because I’m just really stressed out but no one can help me on that one, so I just have to suck it up and soldier on. I’ll stop rambling and the “deep thoughts” about life and such whenever this passes or whenever I find a new show to occupy myself with on Netflix …
What happened on 1st day of work
- Realized too late that I couldn’t fit into ANY of my suits because I had gained too much weight in Singapore, was barely able to squeeze into a pair of black pants and as a result skipped breakfast
- Rental car wouldn’t start this morning
- As a result, got into work late (but thankfully so were other people)
- Found out because my passport and social security have different names, I may have problem getting paid on time
- Had a massive nosebleed in the middle of orientation
Interesting start indeed.
When I was younger, I wish someone had told me straight-up that not all adults experience “a calling”. That many of them never find particular purpose in a career. That sometimes, their job is just what pays the bills and they have to seek satisfaction and fulfillment elsewhere.
Because as an adult, this pervasive notion that there exists a perfect path for everyone, that people should love what they do, and that work is meant to function as a vehicle for fulfilling a person’s grand life destiny is not only inaccurate for many of us, it can be toxic.
The ideal is so ingrained that I have to remind myself constantly I’m not a failure because I don’t adore my job, and because I’m not rocking the world with my work. That is okay.
Sometimes, work is just work. There isn’t always a perfect career path, magically waiting to be discovered. There might not be this THING you were born to do. Sometimes, you discover that what you really want to be when you grow up is “paid”.
This is very true. The reality of life is that if you actually love what you do, you’re considered one of the very lucky few. While the idea that you do what you love may sound perfect, the reality of things is that you do need to find something that can support you. If what you love happen to pay the bills, that’s awesome; but 99% of the time it doesn’t.
Growing up, there’re countless occasions where I’m told that I should do what I love. I’ve even known people who wouldn’t go out and look for jobs because they prefer to just do their own thing even if it means no income (my spouse is an example). I think pursuing your interests and do what you love is great, but in reality we often have to sacrifice that in order to live and take care of ourselves. It’s fine to do what you love, but you have to be realistic about it.
At the end of the day, making ends meet will always take precedence because doing what you love is a luxury. It’s a want, not a need.
(via captainkjones)
If writing and shipping Seblaine is a job, then I’d be the biggest workaholic in the world.
A Management Consultant’s Favorite Reply To Everything: IT DEPENDS
And yet you guys pay us good money for it …
